Cutting mechanism for button-hole sewing-machines



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. W. OSTROM & J. W. BOYNTON GUTTNG MEGHANISM 'POR BUTTON HOL-E SEWING MACHINES.

IIHIIHII I H Egg PatyentedJune 4, 1889.-

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(NoMoael.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

P. W. OSTROM & J; W. BOYNTON. CUTTING MTGHANISM TOR BUTTON HOLE 'SEWING MACHINES.

No. 404.427. PmemedJun@ 4, 1889.

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UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

FREELAND W. OSTROM, OF BRIDGEPORT,.AND JOHN W. BOYNTON, OF STRAT- FORD, ASSIGNORS TO THE WHEELER da VILYSON MANUFACTURING COM- PANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

CUTTING M ECHANISM FOR BUTTON-HOLE SEWING-MACHIN ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,427, dated .T une 4, 1889.

Application filed May 25, 1889. Serial No. 203,307. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that we, FREELAND 7. OS- aoM, of Bridgeport, and JOHN W. BoYNToN, Stratford, county of Fairfield, and State of onnecticut, have invented an Improvement f Sewing-Machines for Stitching Buttonoles, of which the following description, in flnection with the accompanyingdrawings, ff! -spec'icatiomlike letters on the drawings senting like parts.

. iis invention is intended to be an imvement upon that class of button-hole ching and cutting mechanism which is def ibed in United States Patents Nos.'303,453

@d 303,454 and the modification of the former patent, as represented by United States Patent No. 303,557.

Herein the invention relates more especially to mechanism for cutting the slits in the material while held by the clamp and to means for positively actuating the said cutting mechanism at the proper time. Ve have also provided the machine with devices whereby the cutting mechanism may be operated but once for each button-hole, and whereby the` cutting mechanism may be instantly thrown out of operation whenever desired-as, for instance, should it be desired to turn backward the feeding mechanism of the clamp to correctfaults in the stitching. This may be done even after the cloth-clamp has completed its movement to finish the buttonhole, or after the hole or slit has been cut, the cutting mechanism so thrown out of operation relatively to the other moving parts of the machine not being again operated while the clamp is being moved -to enable said faults to be corrected.

The particular features in which our invention consists will be hereinafter described, and specified in the claims.

Figure l is a rear side elevation of a button-hole-stitching machine embodying our invention, parts of the frame-work being broken ont to show Working parts; Fig. 2, a partial plan or top view of the front end of the overhanging arm with part of the cloth-plate and clamp and feed -wheel and cam-disk. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the overhanging arm. Fig. 4 is a section of Fig. 3 in the dot- -ted line a: Fig. 5, an elevation and section of the upper sleeve-like bearing for the cutter-bar; Fig. 6, a detail of the collar at, and Fig. 7 a detail of the arm A5 and its pin as.

The frame-work of the machine, consisting of the cloth-plate A and overhanging armlA, the needle-bar-actuating rock-shaft A2, the needle-bar A3, needle A4, arm A5, link A, the link A7, rotating shaft A8, and the stitchforming mechanism (3o-operating with lthe said needle, preferably a hook, (not shown,) are all common to the Wheeler & Wilson machine, style No. l0, so need not be herein further described.

The cloth-clamp composed of the members G G G2 and foot H, as well as the ratchettoothed wheel D3 and feed-clamp-actuating disk E, having at its under side the usual groove for actuating devices belowit to impart movement to the said clamp, are also old and substantially such as shown by like lety ters in United States Patent No. 303,453.

The devices between the feed-clamp-actuating disk and the member G of the clamp are herein supposed to be identical with those shown in United States Patent` No. 303,557; but as the particular means intermediate the feeding-disk andv the clamp to actuate it to move the material under the needle to stitch the button-hole are not herein claimed, it is deemed unnecessary to describe such devices in detail.

The cutter-carrying bar n, extended upward through suitable bearings in the overhanging arm, the cutter n at its lower end, and the spring o, to lift the cutter-carrying bar after the same shall have been depressed, are substantially the same as in United States Patent No. 303,454, where like parts are designated by like letters. The bushing e,y constituting the lower bearing for thebar n, is chambered (see Fig. l) to receive the lower end of the spring o, and the under side of the collar c', attached to the said bar bythe screw a2, is also chambered to receive the upper end of the said spring, such construction of the said bearing and collar enabling the ends of the spring to be held externally, thereby obviating tendency of the spring to bend 'laterally under operative strains.

IOO

The bar n has faston it a second collar (L4, having a inger a, (shown separately in Fig. 6,) which depends below the top of the collar a" for a sufficient distance to prevent the stud as, carried by the usual arm A5 of the needlebar-actuating drock-shaft, from passing below the lower end of the said linger in case the cutter-bar is tripped, as will be described, before the stud as completes its upward movement. The spring 0 is herein shown as so connected to the bushing a and to the cutterbar at or near the collar a as to cause the said spring to normally turn the cutter-bar in such direction as to place the cutter n at its lower end cent-ral with the line of stitching.

The cutter-bar is extended through atubular bearing a6, cut away at one side (see Fig. 5) to form a straight guiding-surface a7, against which the pin a" in the bar a5 is borne by the spring o whenever the beak b of the tripping mechanism is removed from. contact with the stud D', attached to the upper end of the bar a5 above the bearing a, and the stud as rises above the collar at.

The bar a5 above the collar atis surrounded by a short spring b2, which, rising and falling with the bar a5, acts as a butter between the said collar a" and the lower end of the upper, bearing for the said bar. The beak I) has its face which comes in contact with the stud h made cam-shaped, so that as the spring olifts the cutter-bar into its normal position the stud b', preferably having a roller-surface, by acting against the said beak, will cause the partial rotation of the said bar a5 in opposition to the tension of the spring o, the cutter a6 being thereby turned aside out oi' the line ot' travel of the needle-bar. The cutter-bar, having reached its norm al height, is held with the cutter turned aside, as stated, so long as the beak b remains in its normal position against the stop b, it being held in such position by the tension of the spring h4, one end of which is attached to the said beak b, while its outer end is seated in an opening of and connected to a part of the overhanging arm, the said spring also serving the purpose of keeping the beak b and the tripping-rod b5, to which it is attached by the screw h, in its most elevated position.

So long as the beak Z) acts against the stud h to hold the cutter-bar, as shown in Figs. l and 3, the inger of the collar a4 is kept forward out ot the line of travel of the stud or pin as, before referred to; but as soon as the beak is turned aside away from the stud b by a partial rotation of the tripping-rod, as will be described, the spring o, acting on the bar or, brings the upper end of the collar a4 in the ange of travel of the stud a8 while the latter is descending, and the said stud, acting upon the upper end of the said collar and finger, causes the cutter-bar to be driven down quickly, the line ot' movement of the cutter n being determined by the pin a9 on the bar 01" then operating agaillst the guidingwall a7 of the bearing a, The collar a at its rear side has a lug 117, which, in the descent of the cutter-bar n, comes in contact with atripping-arm Us above a collar c, attached thereto by a suitable set-screw. Above the arm bg the tripping-rod b5 has applied to it loosely a cam-collar c', having' a suitable handle by which it may be turned on the said trippingrod when it is desired to depress the said tripping-rod and place the arm c2 thereof below the line of travel of the pin c3 of the tripping-arm c4, attached to or moving in unison with the usual ratchet-toothed feeding-wheel D3 or the cani-disk E. Then the trip ping-rod is so depressed, the cam on the cam-collar c acts against a part of the under side of the overhanging arm, and at such time and while the arm c2 is held below the line of travel of the tripping-arm c4 the wheel D4 and ca1ndisk E may be revolved in either direction Without bringing the pin of the tripping-arm c4 in contact with the arm c2 and putting in Operation the cutter-bar.

In the operation of stitching the buttonhole the toothed wheel D3 and the disk E will be rotated step by step, in usual manner, as common in the patents referred to, and the button-hole cutter will be held in elevated position with the blade turned aside, the beak Z) of the tripping-rod resting aga-inst the stud b at the upper end of the cutter-bar, and the arm c2 at the lower end of the tripping-rod will stand in the line of travel of the pin c3, extended from the tripping-arm o4. Vith the parts in this condition, substantially as the stitching for the button-hole is completed, the pin cS of the tripping-arm c, in the rotation of the wheel D3, will meet the arm c2 of the tripping device and turn the beak b aside, permitting the spring o of the cutter-bar to turn the latter as soon as the stud a8 arrives in its highest position, such movement of the cutter-bar placing the cutter in a line cen trally with relation to and parallel with and between the two lines of stitching constituting the two sides of the button-hole. This done, the stud a8 in its descent strikes the upper side of the collar attached to the cutter bar and causes the cutter-bar to be thrown down quickly, the cutter at its lower end cut ting the material held in the clamp and under its foot H, making a slit between the two lines of stitching constituting t-he buttonhole.

llerein it will be seen that the needlebar derives its motion from the arm A, which carries the stud as, that effects the descent of the cutter-bar; but owing to the tact that the stud a8 is nearer the center of the needle-bar actuating shaft A2 than the pin (Z,(see Fig. 3,) employed to attach the said arm to the link A, it follows that the cutter-bar descends at a slower speed than does the needle-bar, but they both reach their extreme position of descent at the same time and they both reach their highest position at the same time. rlhe ITO end of the arm ha, acted upon by the lug` If of the collar a4, depresses the tripping-rod b5, so that its arm c2 is placed below the line of travel of the pin c3 and allows the beak b to resume its normal position under the action of the spring b4, so that the cutter-bar, in its first ascent after cutting the slit, is positively turned aside and thrown outof operative po- Referring to Fig. 4, the collar a4 on the cutter-bar is in such position as to remove the lug a5 from the path of movement of the stud as, and the lug l)T is out ot' line with the arm bs, connected to the tripping-rod; but it will be obvious that the rotation of the cutter-bar sufficiently to place the lug ai under the descending stud as also places the lug 197 of the collar a', also fixed to the cutter-bar, immediately over the inner end of the arm 198, thus depressing the latter. As the tripping-rod rises, as stated, the arm c2 rises with it, and

' at the rear side of the pin c3, so that in the further movement of rotation of the wheel D3 in its working direction the arm c2 cannot be again struck so as to cause the cutter to cut twice in the same place or in the same buttonhole. 'In the descent ofthe cutter-bar the lug 117 does not strike the arm bs until the cutterbar has almost completed its downward thrust.

In case of any imperfection-such as skipping stitches or breaking'threads-imperfections which need to be rectiiied-or when the wheel D3 and disk E are to be turned back for any reason, the cam-collar c will be turned to depress the tripping-rod and remove its arm c2 out of the range ot movement of the pin c3 when the wheel D3 is again being moved forward and the 'disk E is acting to move the clamp while the stitching is being done over again, the arm c2 being retained down below the pin c3 until after the tripping-arm c4 again passes the arm c2, thus avoiding the necessity of forcing the cutter down through the material a second time. I

It will be noticed that the finger a5 of the collar a" is extended downward for a distance equal to the travel of the pin as betweenthe commencement of the movement of the clampactuating feed or cam disk and the completion of the upward movement of the said pin a8, thus avoiding the possibility of the said pin getting under the end of the said finger, which would cause a lock in the movement of the different actuating parts; but by making the finger a5 of proper length, as j ust described, the outer end of the pin a8 acts to hold the cutter-bar and its attached cutter out of engagement until the said pin reaches the eX- treme of its upward movement, although the said cutter-bar and its attached cutter and the cam-faced beak b have been forced out of engagement by the contact of the pin c3 with the arm c2 through the tripping-rod if. The stud as is secured to the arm A5 by a nut @12.

Ve have herein shown, but do not broadly claim, vthe combination, with a stitch-forming mechanism, a work-clamp, and mechanism for l. In a button-hole sewing-machine, thecombination, with the work-clamp and its operating cam or disk,of a cutter-bar, operating mechanism therefor, a cutter carried by said bar, and a tripping device to throw the cutter-bar-operating mechanism into action, said tripping device having two members, one of which members, as armor projection c, is connected to and moved in unison with the said clamp-operating cam or disk, and is thus a traveling member, the other member of the tripping device, as the arm or projection c2, being normally stationary in the path of' movement of a part of the said traveling member, one of the said members being adjustable or movable with relation to the normal path of movement of ythe said traveling member to enable the latter to pass the said stationary member without engagement therewith when desired.

2. In a button-hole-stitching machine, a feeding-clamp, a cutter-bar, its cutter, the attached collar a4, having a finger, a pin or proj ection, as b', carried by the cutter-bar, a spring to partially rotate the cutter-bar in one direction, needle-actuating mechanism, and a pin or projection deriving its .movement therefrom to strike the said collar a4 and depress the cutter-bar, combined with a movable Vbeak or arln to co-operate with the said pin or projection. of the cutter-bar and retain the cutter with its edge turned aside out of operative position with relation to the material to be cut and tripping mechanism, to operate substantially as described.

3. In a button-hole-stitching machine, a teedingclamp, the cutter-bar and cutter, means to reciprocate and-partially rotate the said bar, the tripping-rod having an arm c2, the ieed-clamp-actuating disk having a projection to act upon the said arm, and a beak to act against a pin or projection of the cutter-bar, combined with a spring to hold the said tripping-rod in its normal position, t0 operate substantially as described.

4. In abutton-hole-stitchin g machine, a cutter, a cutter-bar having a projection b and a projection 67 moved in unison with it, means to reciprocate the cutter-bar, a spring to partially rotate the cutter-bar in one direction, a feed-clamp, and a feed-clamp-actuatin g disk having an attached tripping arm or projection, and a tripping-rod having two arms or projections, one of which holds the cutterbar turned aside, while the other arm rests in the line of travel of the tripping-arm lmade IOO IIO

movable with the said disk, combined with names to this specification in the presence of an arm bprojeeting from the tripping meehtwo subscribing witnesses.

:mism and looated in the line of travel of f the said projection b? of the outter-l ar, whereby the latter in its descent moves the tiip-- ping-arm longitudinally, substantially as dolVitnessos: scribed. ISAAC HOLDEN,

In testimony whereof We have signed our CHAS. C. XVILSON.

Itis hereby-certified that in LettersPatent No. 404,427, granted June 4,1889, upon the application of Freeland W. Ostrom,'of Bridgeport, 'and John W. Boynton, of

Stratford, Connecticut, for an improvement in Cutting Mechanism for Button-Hole Sewing Machines,77 an error appears in the printed specication requiring1 correction,

as follows: In the heading` the Words and gures application led May 25, 1889, should read application jilect May 25, 1886,- and that the lLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 11th day of J une, A. D. 1889.

oYRUs BUssnY,

[SEAL] Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Gountersigned C. E. MITCHELL,

Commissioner of Patents. 

